Armored garment for lower torso



May 7, 1957 F.-J. LEWIS, JR., Erm. 2,790,973

ARMORED GARMENT FOR LOWER TORSO I Filed March 30, 1954 lm n FIG. 2

4 INVENTOR: FEDER/0K. JAMES LEWIS, JR JOHN F RANG/S OUI/VLAN Neuem.

nited States Patent O ARMORED GARMENT FOR LOWER TORSO Frederick .lames Lewis, Jr., Norfolk, Va., and John F. Quinlan, Jacksonville, N. C., assignors to the United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy Application March 30, 1954, Serial No. 419,942

4 Claims.' (Cl. 2-2.5)

v (Granted under Title 35, U. S. Code (1952), sec. 266) The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government of the United States of America for governmental purposes without the payment of any royalties thereon or therefor.

The present invention relates to an armored garment for the lower torso and more particularly to an armored garment for the lower torso which combines the factors of comfort, cleanliness, and durability with adequate ballistic or low energy missile protection for the wearer.

Prior protective body garments for use in warfare have been constructed to resist penetration of bullets traveling at a relatively high velocity, and as such wereof rigid or noniiexible construction. It will be apparent that the stiff materials utilized to make such garments were of such a nature that comfort and proper fitting were ditlicult to achieve, and that such armor did not suitably conform to the body contours and at the same time permit unhindered physical movement of the portion of the anatomy sought to be guarded. The soldier in combat must have freedom of movement to effectively fulfill his mission, and the previous body armor, although olfering some protection to the user, did not meet the standard of exibility and light weight necessary to be fully acceptable. It is only natural for a soldier to resist any additional weight above that which his tactical duties demand him to carry, and there is a point Where kthis burdensome armor weight will overshadow any concept of safety and the soldier will discard the extra bulk.

The present invention of an armored garment for the lower torso is constructed to afford protection to an area of the body where movement should not be restricted, and where a need for protection is vital. The design of the present invention is related to that of shorts of the elastic leg type, and the unique construction of the garment includes a zipper closure arrangement which enables the armor to conform to the general contours of the body area covered which overcomes the prior art difiiculty met in achieving a comfortable and a flexible lit.

An object of the present invention is the provision of a light weight protective body garment which is composed of a material which has a high penetration-resistance value.

Another object is to provide an armor garment for the lower torso which is comfortable to wear and easily secured on the user with a proper lit.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a protective body garment which allows freedom of body movement and provides protection against low energy missiles to the vital area of the lower abdomen, lower spine, buttocks, and genitalia.

Still another object is to provide a garment which is composed of nontoxic material so that irritation would not result by the penetration of such material into a wound.

A final object of the present invention is the provision of an armored undergarment which is normally concealed under the usual outer clothing, which is constructed so as to be noiseless, and which is provided with a water- Fatented May 7, 1957 proof covering which insures cleanliness and durability.

Other objects and many of the attendant advantages of this invention will be readily appreciated as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in connected with the accompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. l shows a front elevational view of a preferred embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 2 illustrates a rear elevation of the garment shown in Fig. l;

Fig. 3 shows an enlarged elevational view somewhat from below of the left side of the garment shown in Fig. l;

Fig. 4 is a detailed showing of the inside portion of the zipper closure shown in Fig. 3; and

Fig. 5 shows a vertical cross-sectional view of the garment taken along a line substantially corresponding to line 5 5 of Fig. 1.

Referring now to the drawings, wherein like reference characters designate like or corresponding parts throughout the several views, there is shown in Fig. l, which illustrates a preferred embodiment, a front pad 10 and a rear pad 11 connected adjacent their vertical marginal edges by a stretchable material such as the nylon-elastic tapes 12 and 13, and having a waist drawstring 14, A crotch strap 15 joins the lower portion of the front pad 10 with the lowermost portion of rear pad 11. One side of zipper 16, illustrated to the right of the garment shown in Fig. l, is sewn to one vertical edge of the nylonelastic tape 12 and the other side of the zipper is sewn to the front pad 10 to allow the garment to be donned easily. The stitchings 23 shown throughout the draw` ings may be performed in any manner well-known in the art to construct the particular body protector illustrated.

In Fig. 2 the rear pad 11 is shown connected to the elastic side members 12 and 13 and the crotch strap 15.

Referring now to Figs. 3 and 4 the zipper 16 is shown sewn to the edge of the 'elastic side member 12 and to the front pad 10. The portions of front and rear pads which meet at their sides may be made overlapping as shown by numerals 17 and 18. This assures protection at the juncture of the pads. As shown, flap 18 overlies flap 17 when the zipper 16 is in its normally closed position. A strap member 19 at the bottom of the zipper 16 prevents the zipper from fully separating when open, and downwardly depending zipper tab 20 assists in removing or donning the garment. The construction of the front and rear pads is best shown by Fig. 5 wherein the outer Waterproof textile 21 surrounds a core of laminated protective fabric 22 and is sewn at its upper portion to provide a guide for drawstring 14.

The prior art body garment deficiencies of rigidity and heavy weight have been overcome by the construction of the present body armor with laminations of high strength fabric such as Dupont ballistic nylon. This type of cloth is fabricated into a comfortable and a wearable armored garment without difliculty and provides a shock absorbing and low-energy penetration resistance.

The garment is easily donned as follows: zipper 16 is retracted to its opened position as shown in Fig. 3; next, the wearer slips into the garment and pulls it over his hips to position the waistband in proper place and zips up the zipper to stretch the elastic member 12 and finally draws the drawstring 14 to adjust the waistband, and in this condition the garment is secured. The genitalia area of the soldier is protected by the lower protuberance of the front pad 10 and the elastic material of side members 12 and 13 allows stretching in a lateral direction thus giving the wearer a snug fit with freedom of bodily movement.

Obviously many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in the light of the above ICC 3 teachings. 'Tt is therefore to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.

What is claimed is:

l. An armored garment for the lower torso of a wearer composed of `laminae of high-strength fabric comprising; a front body protective pad, a rear body protective. pad, said pads normally overlapping at their adjacent vertical marginal edges so as to overlie one another at each side of the garment, and stretchable side members sewn to the end portions of the pads along lines4 spaced from the vertical marginal edges of the pads to thereby join the front pad to the rear pad adjacent thevertical marginal edges of the pads such that the side members are disposed superjacent the overlap of said pads.

2. Anarmored garment for the lower torso of a wearer composed of laminae of high-strength fabric comprising; a front body protective pad, a rear body protective pad, said pads normally overlapping at their adjacent vertical marginal edges so as to overlie one another at each side of the, garment,. stretchable side members sewn to the end portions of the pads along lines spaced from the vertical marginal edges of the pads to thereby join the front pad to the rear pad adjacent the vertical marginal edges of the pads suchthat the side members are disposed superjacent the overlap of said pads, and zipper means provided for at least one side member adapted to releasably and .stretchably connect one of said members to one of said pads in a manner to facilitate donning and removing the garment on a wearer.

3. An armored garment for the lower torso of a wearer composed of laminae of highstrength fabric comprising; a front body protective pad, a rear body protective pad, said pads normally overlapping at their adjacent vertical marginal edges so as to overlie one another at each side ofthe garment, stretchable side members sewn to the end portions of the pads along lines spaced from the vertical marginal edges of the pads to thereby join the front pad to the rear pad adjacent the vertical marginal edges of the pads such that the side members are disposed supcrjacent the overlap of said pads, zipper means provided for at least one side member adapted to releasably and stretchably connect one of said members to one of said pads in amanner to Yfacilitate donning and removing the garment on a wearer, said protective pads having a drawstring channel provided at the uppermost edges thereof, and a waist drawstring carried within said channel and accessible from the exterior of said garment to assist in supporting said garment on a wearer when the garment is adjusted in wearing position.

4. An armored garment for the lower torso of a wearer composed of laminae of high-strength fabric comprising; a front body protective pad, a rear body protective pad, said pads normally overlapping at their adjacent vertical marginal edges so as to overlie one another at each side of the garment, stretchable side members sewn to the end portions of the pads along lines .spaced from the vertical marginal edges of the pads to thereby join the front pad to the rear pad adjacent the vertical marginal edges of the pads such that the side members are disposed superjacent the overlap `of said pads, zipper means provided for at least one side member adapted to releasably and stretchably connect one of said members to one of said pads in a manner to facilitate donning and removing the garment on a wearer, said protective pads having a drawstring channel provided at the uppermost edges thereof, a waist drawstring carried within said channel and accessible from the exterior of said garment to assist in supporting said garment on a wearer when the garment is adjusted in wearing position, and a crotch strap con` nected to the lowermost medial portion of said front pad and to the lowermost medial portion of said rear pad, said strap being of a length to snugly tit the garment protectively over the genitalia and lower spine section of a prospective wearer.

References Cited Ain the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 606,410 Fowler June 28, 1898 956,203 Sibold Apr. 26, 1910 1,250,693 Stanger Dec. 18, 1917 1,660,342 Levinson Feb. 28, 1928 2,013,190 Schopbach et al. Sept. 3, 1935 2,088,302 McKeever Iuly 27, 1937 2225,514 Wipperman Dec. 17, 1940 2,517,615 Webster et al. Aug. 8, 1950 

